With Lane Bryant

Plus size personality, Marcy Guevara takes us on a visual tour of some of Cacique’s pretty and functional bras as well as offering tips on how to get a proper fit and style for your outfit.

I think I have mentioned before that the Balconette style is my favorite for every day where. And Cacique was the first brand I fell in love with. Most of my pretty bras are Cacique. Here are a few of my faves from their new arrivals:

As of this post Lane Bryant currently has bras, Buy 1 get one 50% off as well as some on for $20. Have fun!

Addition-Elle’s bras keep getting prettier and prettier but I especially like their current array of pretty blue bras. Whether you like satin, or lace, or a little bit of both, there seems to be a little something for all tastes. These three are my favorite at the moment:

The Aqua Blue Perfect T-shirt Bra

The pretty blue color is made even more perfect by the extra long straps that can be criss-crossed to wear with that awkward tank cut top so the straps do not show.

The Azur Blue Double Lace Balconet Bra

The Balconet style bras tend to be my favorite for comfort, support, and overall shape appearance. I love the two tone blue lace on this one. Very pretty.

All three of these bras are $55 each but at the time of this post they have “buy one get second 40% off”. Not all sizes are available in all bras but there are many other styles and colors to choose from.

What Color is Your Underwear?

When it comes to bras and panties are you partial to a certain color? Is it different from your outer garment choices? For example, I have a friend who wears mostly black on the outside. Tops, dresses, pants, shoes — black, black, black, and black. But with her undergarments she goes wild with reds and purples. Do tell us in the comments below! But before you scroll down, answer this quick poll on mixing and matching.

As if that were not enough beauty for you, they enlisted plus size super model Ashley Graham to feature in their new lingerie lookbook. The line includes pretty bras and panties as well as every day bras and shapewear.

There is a coordinating commercial to see her in motion too. Watch it here, then look for it on the TV beginning March 18:

The music featured in this spot is called “Showstopper” by Brandon & Leah and is currently available for a limited time for free download on the Be a Showstopper page. You can also learn more about Addition-Elle’s plus size bras, panties and other accessories. And read their lingerie guide to get the best fit.

If you are on Twitter or Instagram you can find out what others think by following #beashowstopper.

Addition-Elle provided me with one of their “daily wear” bras for review. By daily wear I mean the bras we tend to wear more than any of the other bras in our drawers for the activities of daily living — going to work, shopping etc. Typically there is nothing spectacular about them like lace or bows to get in the way or distract us or anyone else for that matter.

The Smooth Embrace Un-padded Underwire bra has a deep underwire so it does not poke into the breast or the inside of the arm midway up the side like the shorter ones tend to do. (FYI: I realize the pictures make this bra look greyish but it is pristine white.)

The cups are made of microfiber which is silky soft to touch. I thought it would have been warmer to wear than my regular bras but it was remarkably breathable (Side note: I wear a bra liner with my bras in the summer). The underwire is lightly padded with brushed material for softness. The only thing I did not like was the little satiny overlay at the top of the underwires between the breasts. For some reason this irritates my skin there with an annoying itchy sensation.

The bra has immaculate stitching.

The boning at the side is moderately soft.

The straps are lightly padded at the shoulders and sit in a wide position on the shoulders so they do not dig into that tender meaty section.

The band is reasonably thin without providing extra lumps under tops. I also like the extra width in the side back panels.

According to Penningtons, 70% of women are wearing the wrong size bra. In an effort to decrease the percentage of a lot of uncomfortable women, they are holding a Bra Fit Weekend — June 2 and 3.

Throughout the weekend they will be offering complimentary bras fittings. Specially trained staff will take your measurements (make sure you are wearing one of your good fitting bras and not a ratty-assed one), do a few calculations, and give you your correct bra size.

You can get a complimentary bra fitting at anytime you visit Penningtons but this weekend there will be draws for free bras every hour, a draw for a special gift basket, and a complimentary outfit for summer.

Here are just a few of the bras I have my eyes on:

Padded Underwire T-shirt Bra (black floral print)

Printed Underwire Demi Bra (limelight)

Padded Underwire T-shirt Bra (coral)

Padded Underwire Animal Print T-shirt Bra (blue paisley)

Solid Wirefree Cotton Cra (seafoam)

Striped Underwire Demi Bra (blue floral print)

If you cannot make it to the weekend in-store event be sure to check out their online selection with is currently on for $28.

Back in February Addition-Elle invited me to the spring launch of their new intimates collection featuring plus model Ashley Graham. Much to my disappointment I was not able to attend but shortly after they sent me a press package which included a coupon for a bra a panty from my local store.

This past weekend I was finally able to make it over to Addition-Elle to check out their lingerie line. I have to say, IT’S FRIGGING HUGE! Seriously, I could not believe how many styles there were for pretty bras and functional bras; both underwire and wire free. I took a few pictures while I was there and of course tried on a few styles.

And that was not all of them.

As you can see from their mannequins many of the pretty bras have matching panties.

Unfortunately many of the pretty panties did not go above 2x. In fact there was a huge amount of 1x and 2x sizing but I did not not find anything larger. Perhaps those sizes just sold out quickly. When I say “pretty panties” I am referring to the lacy ones, not the basic briefs. The bras though had many sizing options to choose from.

I tried on the lacy Femme Fatale and Smooth Curve Underwire Bra (definitely check out this one as its band is really unique) but ended up taking home the Smooth Embrace Underwire Bra in white (with a coordinating white brief) which does not have any molding so will be perfect for summer. I also loved how it covered the back area (I will do a full review posting once I wear it for a day).

The staff of course were friendly and helpful. I think they might have had a few extras on for the customer appreciation day (I have such good timing) they were celebrating with their customers. One of the things they were giving out with purchases were some kick-ass fashion watches — I was given a lovely Michel Studio bracelet watch. This photo does not do the watch justice.

I looked at their website and they still have their buy one get the second 40% off if you are interested.

They are currently offered in sizes 40 C to 44 DDD and are $34 each BUT for a limited time Torrid is offering a promotion to showcase these bras — buy 2 bras, get a third FREE! And this promotion is extended to all bras at Torrid, not just the new line.

And if you use the coupon code: 9AF11OFF you can get an additional 10% off your purchase. The coupon expires October 15, 2011.

Claire Dumican and her partner Paul Syrenne combined their talents to start the Vancouver based Butterfly Collection online lingerie boutique with the mission of getting “every big busted Canadian woman into the right bra and feeling fabulous”. A tall order especially for plus size women.

Currently the boutique has 21 plus size bras to choose from going up to a K cup. What will make shopping frustrating for some is that not every bra comes in all sizes. These are not cheap bras, the cheapest is $62. But if you are having a hard time finding bras in Canada with an adequate cup size then it may be worth checking them out.

Three tips Claire recommends for all women to be aware of when fitting a bra:

“ALL of your breast tissue must be inside the cup. Your band should lie flat against your skin with room for 2 fingers to run smoothly beneath it. Your band should be at the same height at the back as it is at the front – both parallel with the floor.”

Visit the Butterfly Collection online for more tips in the “Bra School”.

When I worked at Penningtons, eons ago, one of the things that seemed to turn over fast were the pretty dresses. If you found something, then blinked, it was gone. End of warning. Here are a few of my favorites. I especially like the convertible ones (sleeveless, halter, skirt):

As you can see there are many of not-so-bra-friendly dresses this season. The good news is that Pennington’s also has an convertible bra in plus size (40B to 46DDD). They are a bit pricy so I suggest stocking up on a black one and a nude when when they go on sale (currently on for $29.99 — regular $49.99).

My favorite place to get sexy lingerie is Hips and Curves so I thought I had better tell you about this week’s sale so they can become your new favorite too.

Hips and Curves is having a “friends and family” sale. Here are the deets: $10 off $100, $20 off $150, $30 off $200. This sale will run from April 25 to April 29. You need to use the correct coupon code for the amount you spend:

For $10 off of orders of $100 or more, use coupon code: 10off100friends11

For $20 off of orders of $150 or more, use coupon code: 20off150friends11

For $30 off of orders of $200 or more, use coupon code: 30off200friends11

One of my favorites is the Pin-Stripe Baby Doll for $33. You’ll find lots of sexy lingerie, a few bras, lots of corsets, and few fun items.

In general sexy lingerie is pretty limited locally. Online there is a lot of choice but many of the businesses carry the same products. For something really different there is Torrid. They tend to be a bit edgy without going into full sleaze mode. Here are a few of my favorites today including the incredibly cute Wonder Woman, sorry, Hero Bustier that kind of looks like Wonder Woman’s costume. All items range from $30 to $36 US (yes they deliver) and are available in sizes 0 to 4x (some sizes have sold out).

Whether you are thinking about something private or adding to your Halloween costumes this year or need something under your wedding dress, these plus size satin corsets are both beautiful and affordable as far as corsets go. I love the look of all three but that red one is hot! These corsets are available in sizes 0x to 4x for $39.95.

It’s time to celebrate pre-fall with new arrivals at AdditionElle, Penningtons, MXM. As well as the traditional pants, tops, and sweaters they have released some new styles in bras and panties. The bras are a bit pricey at $49.99 but if you check the website you’ll find a code for 20% off.

Spotlight!

News

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Long Term Product

I always have a jar of this stuff in my cabinet!

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Blogging for Canadian Plus Size Women

Every week for the last nine years I have been sharing my favorite things over at PlusShe.com. Once day a loyal reader let me know how disappointed she was she could not make a purchase at one of the places I mentioned because they did not deliver to Canada. I then realized how important a sister site was so PlusShe.ca was born.
Here are some Canadian shops and shops outside Canada to get you started. Be sure to sign up for my email notification updates .